UVM Medical Center Dental Residency Program Partners with Hudson Headwaters Health Network
University of Vermont Medical Center and Hudson Headwaters Health Network have partnered to bring more dental residents to northern New York, in an expansion of the Medical Center’s Dental Residency Program. Leaders from both organizations say the new partnership will increase access to preventive dental care and improve recruitment of dentists in rural communities across the Adirondacks.
The partnership between the two not-for-profits, UVM Medical Center and Hudson Headwaters – a Federally Qualified Health Center – adds Hudson Headwaters’ Warrensburg, NY dental center to the training sites that resident dentists practice at during their rotation in the residency program. It is the program’s first New York State-based training site.
“We’re excited to expand and to be able to offer our residents more experiences providing dental care and services,” said Justin Hurlburt, DMD, MA, program director of UVM Medical Center’s Dental Residency Program. “Having a training site at Hudson Headwaters means our residents will have the opportunity to provide different care and treatment and, as a result, help even more people.”
Clinical leaders at Hudson Headwaters said the need to expand access to dental care –a critical aspect of preventive care impacting a person’s overall health – is a longstanding challenge for rural communities throughout the region.
“Our partnership with UVM Medical Center is an encouraging step to meet the growing dental care demands throughout our region,” said Erin Thompson, DDS, lead dental provider at Hudson Headwaters. “The residents add another provider to deliver quality care and we are excited for our patients to benefit from the expanded access.”
The new partnership, which launched earlier this month, builds on a rich history of collaboration between University of Vermont Health Network and Hudson Headwaters – which operates primary care health centers in close partnership with health system hospitals in Elizabethtown, Plattsburgh and Malone in New York state.
“As an academic health system serving an expansive, rural region, educating the next generation of clinicians while ensuring they are exposed to the benefits of practicing in rural communities is one of our most critical responsibilities,” said Jason Sanders, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer of University of Vermont Medical Group and Executive Vice President and Chief Physician Officer for University of Vermont Health Network. “This partnership is another innovative collaboration between our health system and Hudson Headwaters addressing longstanding challenges that directly impact the health and wellness of people across Vermont and northern New York.”
Hudson Headwaters welcomed five resident dentists in UVM Medical Center’s program to its Warrensburg, NY dental center. The inaugural residents are:
- Raquel Alespeiti, DMD, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
- Callan Bock, DDS, University of Minnesota
- Reegan DeBruycker, DDS, University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine
- Christian Jocham, DDS, New York University College of Dentistry
- Emily Lewis, DMD, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
“We enthusiastically welcome UVM Medical Center resident dentists with hopes they will see what a rewarding career and positive impact they can have by choosing to serve our rural communities,” said Dr. Thompson.
Since 2005, Hudson Headwaters has delivered dental care to patients in Warrensburg regardless of a patient’s insurance status or ability to pay. The Network then expanded access through Healthy Smiles, a traveling program that provides no-cost preventive dental services to children at more than 60 local schools. Welcoming dental residents is the latest milestone for Hudson Headwaters’ dental services.
UVM Medical Center’s Dental Residency program is a one-year rotation, fully accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation as part of the American Dental Association. Training prepares dentists for general practice and provides practical experience in comprehensive dental care—from complex oral surgery cases and dental emergencies to routine and general dentistry. The program’s faculty includes oral surgeons, pediatric dentists, general dentists, orthodontists and other oral health specialists.
CONTACT:
Pam Fisher
Director of External Affairs
Hudson Headwaters Health Network
518-338-7905
CONTACT:
Philip Rau
Communications & Engagement Strategies
University of Vermont Medical Center
724-372-0147